Device for igniting flash-light powder



Jan. 8, 1924. 1,480,162

B. GROTTA DEVICE FOR IGNITING FLASH LIGHT POWDER Filed Mafch v, '1922 Fate-cited Jan. 3, i924;

Bnnnnrr GROTTA, or re.

mane-a- .cun, rnitivs'ri" ante, assicn'on To ATLas POWDER cot"- rnrtr, or WILMINGTON, nnaawa'a ZQEATIUII or nit-Laurent DEVICE FOE IGHITI'NG FLASH-LIGHT POVJDER.

Application filed real-e11 '7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, BENNETT Gno'rra, a citizen of the United States, residing at T amaqua in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Igniting Flash-Light Powder, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a safe, reliable and convenient device for the ignition of photographic light powder. A iurther object of the in vention is to provide a structure of such nature that by its use single flash may beproduced or a plurality of flashes may be produced simultaneously and at difierent points so that such diffusion and distribution of the light may be secured as will best serve to secure the photograph desired.

Further objects and advantages oi the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows:

Flashlight illumination is rapidly growr ing in fa or, both with the novice and with the professional photographer. Flash light powder consists-of a compound or a mixture of compounds capable of burning with great rapidity andproducing a quick flash of powerit'ul actinic light, thereby making possible the photographing of objects with; out the aid of daylight or other illumination. These powders are not only highly inflammable but are also, under certain conditions; highly explosive. The manipulation of such a commodity by a class of peo ple who are utterly unversed in the handling of explosives constitutes a serious obstacle to the universal application of flash light photography.

. With the object of reducing to a minimum the danger of manipulating flash light powder and also providing. an absolute and convenient means for ignition, I have invented a device which is characterized by the use of an electrically-tired matchhead,an ignition unit which is used 6X- tensivel in detonators or blasting caps for commercial explosives and which is susceptible oi manufacture at a very low cost, the said units consisting of two electrically conducting strips separated by a suitable insulating material and with a match head composition upon one'end.

ihese matches may be either of the low tension-or of the socalled high tension type ea Serial no. 54 .878.

t construction. A low tension match-head one havingv the terminals nietallically con nected. the connection beingsurrounded by and in contact with combustible mixture. Electricalenergy heats the metallic CO11l1BC- tion, or bridge wire, whiclu. in turn ignites the combustible match composition. A high tension match-head is one having its termi nals bridged by a combustible composition of relatively high electrical resistance. Applied electrical energy produces heat which ignites the match composition. For .my purpose, I prefer the low tensiontype because it may be ignited by' any available source of electrical energy such as power current, magneto machine, hand operated dynamo machines, storage and dry batteries, indiscriminately;whereas in the case of high tension match-heads, the source of electrical energy must be governed by the character of the particular kind of match-head in use.

l'lowever, while I have stated a preference, it should be understood that a device involving high-tension match-heads is within the scope of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing illustrative oi? the application of the principles just described,

l is a plan view of a complete ignitor constructed in accord'ancewith the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view illus trating the manner of mounting the ignitors between metallic contact strips;

Fig. 4 illustrates a plug and switch c0n vnected by a flexible conductor "for closing the circuit from a distant point; I l

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through one oi the match-head ignitors.

Fig. 6 is a diagran'imatic View illustrating the manner of connecting a plurality of the ignit rs so that they may all be energized simultaneously troin a distant point.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. v j

Referring now to Fig. 2, a designates a trip of cardboard having pieces of metal oil Z2 and 0 upon its opposite faces, said" a flash producing material d. In use the inatchhead ignitor of Fig. 2 is placed in the position illustrated in 3 and between the two metallic contact pieces 1 and 2 (see Fig. 1) at which time the match-head composition 03 projects laterally from between the contact pieces 1 and 2 and overlies the powder-pan 3. The powder pan is support ed from a block 5, said block also serving as the support for the strips 1 and 2. The block 5 is mounted upon the upper end of a hollow handle 6 which includes a collar 7 in its length. This collar carries two tubular contact members 8 and 8 adapted to receive the contact points 8 and 8 of a plug 8 of a usual and well known construction. A circuit may be completed between the contact points 8' and 8 through a push button switchS which is connected to the plug 8 by a flexible cord 8 in a usual and known way. The contact strip 2 is connected by an insulated bolt 2 with the sleeve 8. The positive terminal 10 of a battery 10 makes contact with the inner terminal end of the tubular contact 8 A circuit may be completed between the tubular contact members 8 and 8? either through the medium of the push button switch 8 from a distant point, or through the medium of a built-in push button switch 9 carried by the collar 7 and which push button switch includes a bridging piece 9 adapted to make contact withthe inner ends of the tubular contact sleeves or members 8-8. The contact strip 1 is grounded upon the block 5 and makes con tact with the negative side of the battery at 4%. A plug 11 is threaded into the lower end of the hollow handle 6 and through the medium of an interposed spring 12 forces the cells constituting the battery up into the hollow handle and to contacting position. The plug 11 is internally threaded as indi cated at 11 for the reception of the usual camera retaining screw of a camera tripod. By virtue of this construction it is possible to support these devices upon ordinary camera tripods and to utilize as many of them as may be desired to produce a plurality of flashes simultaneously at separated points. The manner of wiring to accomplish the foregoing result is illustrated in Fig. 5 from which it will be seen that by closing the push button switch 8 shown in Fig. 5 the plurality of igniting devices A. will be simultaneously energized. Additionally it is posible to effect the closure of the circuit to an individual igniting device by means of the push button switch 9 and while the device is held in the hand.

a From the foregoing description it will be seen that the device is capable of efficiently serving the purposes set forth, that it is of such simplicity that it may be manufactured at a small cost and that the elements are so correlated and arranged that the powder is ignited without exertion and, when a single device is used, with the device at arms length from the operator. When larger charges are required the circuit be completed from a distance as set forth. In any case ignition may be effected without distracting the on erators attention from the camera or his subject. The operator is also spared the discomfort of being temporarily blinded as the result of his vision being directed toward the flash. The ignition of the matchhead in actual contact with the flash light powder is certain to produce absolute ignition of such'powder. The element of compactness secured through the construction described is highly desirable for reporters, tourists, amateurs or others who do photography elsewhere than in a studio. The moment of ignition of the match-head is prac tically identical with the instant of closing the circuitby the operator. Therefore, the operator can control with precision the time of the flash and can operate his camera or instruct his subjects accordingly. The cost of operating this device is confined to the cost of a single match head for each flash. A single battery will fire several hundred of these match-heads and, as before stated, these match-heads are susceptible of great economy in manufacture,

I am aware that a resistance wire capable f being heated to incandescence and in con tact with the flash light powder has been proposed as a means of ignition, but such a device should not be associated with an igniter which utilizes the flash from a matchhead. In contradistinction to sucha device, the matclrhead requires but a very small amount of current, gives instantaneous ignition, and is replaceable at a very small cost.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. In combination with an electrically ignitible match-head including a non-conducting shank, strips of conducting material upon the opposite faces of said shank and a match-head composition at the end of said shank, a hollow supporting handle, an open top powder pan supported therefrom, spaced metallic contact strips adapted to receive the shank of the electrically ignitible matchheads between them and to frictionally hold said matclrheads in position to project laterally over the top of the powder pan, a battery within said handle and connections between the battery and the said contact strips including a manually operable push button switch. mounted upon said handle.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow handle, a powder pan supported therefrom, spaced contact strips at one side of the powder pan and above said handle, a battery within said handle, connections between the batter and the contact strips and a; retaining pug at the lower an end of" the handle, said plug being threaded other of Which is controllable from av distant for the reception of the usual camera repoint. 10 taining screw of a camera tripod. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 3. A structure as recited in claimrQ Where in the presence of two Witnesses.

n in the connections between the battery and BENNETT GROTTA.

the contact strips include a pair of circuit Witnesses: controlling elements, one of Which is built R. L. HILL, into and is carried by the handle and the H. L. GRANT 

